On This Day in Space History

A CHRONICLE OF SPACEFLIGHT

THE SPACE RACE · THE SHUTTLE ERA · ROBOTIC EXPLORATION · 1957–PRESENT

Welcome to On This Day A daily chronicle of humanity in space — the launches, landings, spacewalks, and firsts that mark the space age. Start here. Read the welcome →
January 28
Space Shuttle
Mission
Space Shuttle
Series
NASA
Venue
Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA
Date
January 28, 1986
Agency
NASA
Nickname
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
Crew
Christa McAuliffe
Dick Scobee
Ronald McNair

Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch on mission STS-51-L, killing all seven crew members including teacher Christa McAuliffe. The failure of an O-ring seal in a solid rocket booster grounded the Shuttle fleet and reshaped NASA's approach to safety.

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